Question explored with the scientific record
If sugar isn’t the full cause, what other diet habits worsen enamel?
The evidence you were given does not answer your question. It is about archaeological enamel analysis and remineralization treatments, not about dietary habits that worsen enamel.
None of the eight studies examine meal frequency, acidic beverage intake, fermentable carbohydrates, or diet composition as causes of enamel erosion or demineralization. Study 1 looks at cavities in wild primates eating fruit [1]. Studies 2, 3, and 4 test fluoride and calcium products for remineralization in vitro [2, 3, 4]. Studies 5 through 8 are about paleoproteomics, isotope analysis, and ancient maternal-infant nutrition [5, 6, 7, 8]. Not one addresses your hypothesis.
The question you asked is reasonable. The mechanisms you named—acid exposure from frequent sipping, fermentable starches that feed oral bacteria, and low pH from acidic drinks—are well described in the dental literature. But the evidence retrieved for this answer does not contain a single study that tests them. You cannot draw a conclusion from an empty evidence set.
My call: the evidence provided does not support any answer to your question. Confidence: not clear, because the relevant studies were not included.
Sources examined 12
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Dental caries in wild primates: Interproximal cavities on anterior teeth
This study examines 11 wild catarrhine primate species (339 individuals, 7,946 teeth) for dental caries, uses macroscopic assessment and micro-CT to confirm interproximal cavities on anterior teeth (ICATs) as cariogenic lesions, reports 3.3% overall caries with ICATs present in …
DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23349 -
An In-vitro Comparative Study of Fluoride Varnish and Two Calcium-containing Fluoride Products on the Remineralization of Primary Teeth Enamel
Calcium-containing fluoride products Clinpro 5000 and Remin Pro remineralize demineralized primary enamel as effectively as fluoride varnish in an in vitro pH-cycling model.
DOI: 10.18502/fid.v20i23.13167 -
Comparison of the effectiveness of sodium-tri-metaphosphate-treated varnish containing eggshell and membrane powder and bioactıve glass varnish with fluoride varnish in preventing erosion: in vitro
Three varnishes—fluoride varnish, bioactive glass varnish, and STMP‑treated eggshell/membrane varnish—protect human enamel from acid erosion in vitro, with BAG and EPV performing comparably to FV and EPV showing remineralization trends toward native enamel.
DOI: 10.1007/s10266-025-01065-w -
Improved mineralization of dental enamel by electrokinetic delivery of F− and Ca2+ ions
This study demonstrates that electrokinetic flow (EKF) significantly enhances the mineralization of dental enamel by improving the infiltration of fluoride and calcium ions, leading to increased microhardness and remineralization of artificial caries lesions compared to traditio…
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26423-4 -
Identification and removal of contamination in palaeoproteomic analysis of dental enamel
This study investigates the impact of modern protein contamination on palaeoproteomic analyses of dental enamel from a Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros and evaluates various decontamination methods to enhance the recovery of endogenous proteomic information.
DOI: 10.1101/2025.05.30.657004 -
Archaeological preservation of amelogenesis pathways
Twenty human dental enamel samples reveal preserved amelogenesis signals in the enamel proteome, including in vivo MMP20/KLK4 digestion patterns and FAM20C-mediated serine phosphorylation, enabling AMELX/AMELY-based sex estimation and highlighting cross-temporal enamel proteome …
DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.25.713862 -
When collagen fails: Zinc isotopes unlock Sumerian lifeways in southern Mesopotamia
Zinc isotope analysis of dental enamel from Abu Tbeirah reveals a predominantly cereal-based omnivorous diet with limited animal protein, alongside insights into breastfeeding and weaning, and indicates household-level animal management with minimal marine resource use.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2526276123 -
Understanding the maternal-infant nexus from dental histology and high-resolution compositional biogeochemistry: implications for bioarchaeological research
Dental enamel histology combined with high-resolution trace-element profiling enables time-resolved reconstruction of maternal diet and mother–infant feeding histories in ancient humans.
DOI: 10.4000/bmsap.13828 -
Evaluating the Erosive Effects of Freshly Squeezed Local Fruit Juices on Human Dental Enamel and Consumption Patterns Among Malaysian Adults
A mixed-methods Malaysian study combining a questionnaire survey (n=189) on local fruit juice consumption and oral hygiene awareness with an in vitro enamel erosion experiment (40 extracted human premolars) showing that freshly squeezed lime and pineapple juices erode dental ena…
DOI: 10.3390/nu17162576 -
Biomimetic supramolecular protein matrix restores structure and properties of human dental enamel
The study presents a clinically friendly elastin-like recombinamer (ELR)–based supramolecular matrix that coats tooth surfaces to template epitaxial growth of fluorapatite, accurately recreating the microstructure of enamel across apatitic regions (prismatic, inter-prismatic, ap…
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64982-y -
Late Quaternary millennial-scale stability of the feeding strategy of the gray brocket deer [Subulo gouazoubira (G. Fisher, 1814); Mammalia] in Southeastern Brazil.
This study investigates the feeding strategy of the gray brocket deer (Subulo gouazoubira) in Southeastern Brazil during the late Quaternary using stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of dental enamel from fossilized remains.
DOI: 10.1101/2024.11.08.621301 -
Beyond dairy: Identification of dental enamel proteins in ancient human dental calculus
Reanalysis of 14 ancient dental calculus proteomics datasets shows enamel proteins persist in calculus across diverse contexts, enabling identification of AMELX/AMELY and other enamel proteins in 434 individuals and highlighting enamel proteome potential for sex estimation and b…
DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.21.713223